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I'd like to know about this too. With all the startups you see, what are the common patterns to failing? A missing skill, lack of belief, timing, weak message
by anexprogrammer 10y ago
I'd like to know about this too.
With all the startups you see, what are the common patterns to failing? A missing skill, lack of belief, timing, weak message etc?
If appropriate, how to recognise the warning signs to correct and avoid being the next failure.
- hn4pigs 10y agoA common failure young start-ups is arrogance, & waste. Andy Grove (Intel) used to say "Only the paranoid survive", so true, I used to be amazed that the first thing startup's did was try to imitate the god's with furniture and building's, and the trappings's of wealth. I think your first $10M gross you need to stay lean&mean, complacency is the opposite of paranoia. In a interview with B-Gate he said his recurrent fear early on was making payroll, cash-flow is a real problem. Keeping the expenses low, and keeping lots of cash on hand to make that payroll in good & bad times is a key often missed, of course a few times the VC's may step in to make that payroll, but that's not really a startup, its more of a parent paying the bill's. I think a key is getting all the employees to understand that their 24/7 task is to do activity's that bring in the money, when this is done the money flows. Money is the blood of politics and business, if you see a 'failed' biz, its because their revenue came to a halt.
- dzink 10y agoIs this an anonymous account for someone at YC?